New Canaan Line restoration work continues

Martin B. Cassidy

Updated 9:45 pm, Thursday, November 8, 2012

STAMFORD -- After damage from Wednesday's nor'easter diverted manpower from a bevy of equipment repairs and tree damage on the 7.9-mile New Canaan Branch, Metro-North Railroad still has no clear prediction of when the line's service is restored, Metro-North spokeswoman Marjorie Anders said.

"Although the branch is only a single track and only 8 miles long, there are 37 locations were work is needed, some worse than others," she said.

The railroad expects to put available crews to work this weekend to repair the New Canaan Branch and restore train service. Since Monday, the railroad has substituted CTTransit bus service on the line, Anders said.

"Unfortunately, the crews had to be pulled off the branch shortly after noon to handle new problems on the New Haven Line," she said.

About 600 people have been using the bus service during peak hours, about a third of the total during normal service.

The winds and snow from the nor'easter knocked trees down onto the south signal wire east and west of the Cos Cob station and blew fiberglass insulating rods on the Norwalk River moveable bridge, Anders said.

The rods were originally cleaned and repaired after shorting out from saltwater spray during Hurricane Sandy in hopes they would work until replacements could be installed.

"One thing is certain, our linemen are tired," Anders said. "They have been working 16-hour shifts since this began."

Dean Ulloa, a Springdale commuter, said except for the first day of bus service last Monday, the substitute bus service has been easy to use.

Ulloa, who works as an information technology director for an architectural firm in Manhattan, said the shuttle now uses four buses for each of the station stops, which reduced crowding.

"The first day I drove to Stamford and I had to park a couple of blocks away to get to the station," Ulloa said. "Riding the bus is easier than driving to the station and taking your chances on parking."